Vault Notes

PARA-based note operations for the Teslasoft Obsidian vault. Covers folder structure, note types, and common operational tasks.

When to Use

Creating new notes in the vault
Modifying existing notes (content, links, status)
Archiving completed/inactive notes
Linking areas to projects/resources
Understanding the PARA folder structure
Determining which note type fits a given purpose

When NOT to Use

Applying templates (use vault-templates)
Writing Dataview queries or checking metadata schemas (use vault-metadata)
Git operations, plugin development, Jarvis/Drone ops

Core Principles

Never modify content without explicit user request - Personal vault with sensitive information
Respect the folder structure - The numbered PARA system (00-90) is intentional
Follow metadata conventions - Each note type has specific frontmatter requirements
Link thoughtfully - Goals link to Projects, Areas link to Projects and Resources
Respect German language usage - Mix of German (goal/project names) and English (technical content)
Preserve repository paths - External repoPath fields bridge to actual code repositories

Folder Structure (PARA System)

00_Inbox/          # Quick capture area (process later)
10_Goals/          # Quarterly OKR-style goals (time-bound)
20_Projects/       # Active tactical projects (execution)
30_Areas/          # Strategic responsibility domains (long-term)
40_Resources/      # Reference materials & tools (learning)
50_Collab/         # Partnerships & collaborations
60_Science/        # Research & architectural exploration
70_Skills/         # Professional competency documentation
90_Archive/        # Completed/inactive items
.obsidian/         # Obsidian configuration and plugins
  templates/       # Templater plugin templates (12 types)

Note Type Patterns

Goals (10_Goals/)

Naming: G-[YEAR]-[QUARTER] [Goal Name].md

Frontmatter:

---
type: goal
status: active | planning | completed
horizon: YYYY-Qn
---

Structure:

# [Goal Name]

## Key Results
- KR1: [Deliverable] + [[linked project]]
- KR2: [Deliverable]
- KR3: [Deliverable]

Usage: Time-bound objectives linking to multiple execution projects

Projects (20_Projects/)

Naming: P[#]-[Project Name].md

Frontmatter:

---
type: project
status: active | planning | completed | on-hold
goal: "[[Goal Name]]"
repoPath: D:\Path\To\Repository  # optional but common
---

Structure:

# [Project Name]

## Next actions
- [ ] Task 1
- [ ] Task 2
- [ ] Task 3

Usage: Tactical execution units always linked to a parent goal

Areas (30_Areas/)

Naming: [Area Name].md

Frontmatter (optional):

---
projects: "[[Project Name]]"
resources: "[[Resource Name]]"
---

Usage: Long-term responsibility domains that link projects and resources

Current Areas: Change Management, IT Consulting, IoT App Dev, Open Source, Server Hosting, Simracing, Software Architecture, Team Building

Resources (40_Resources/)

Naming: [Tool/Domain Name].md

Frontmatter (optional):

---
type: ressource
repoPath: D:\Path\To\Repository
---

Organization: Multi-level categorization by domain

Subdirectories: AI/, Agile Manifest/, CMS/, CRM/, ECM/, Engineering/, ERP/, Hosting/, IoT/, MDD/

Usage: Lightweight reference notes (often 1-5 lines); deep dives for key architectures

Collaborations (50_Collab/)

Naming: [Partner Name] - [Initiative].md

Frontmatter:

---
patreonURL: https://...
---

Usage: Track partnerships and sponsorships

Science (60_Science/)

Naming: [Topic Name].md

Usage: Research notes and architectural explorations (e.g., Platform Agent Architecture)

Content: Deep technical documentation, design decisions, novel patterns

Skills (70_Skills/)

Naming: [Skill Name].md

Current Skills: AI Context Management, Drone Pilot, Entrepreneur, Hands-On Product Owner, Information Architecture, Interaction Design, SCRUM Master, SOP Documentation Specialist, Software Architect, Software Engineer, UML, UX Research, UX Strategy, Visual Design

Usage: Professional competency documentation

Working with Notes

When Creating New Notes

Determine the correct category based on note purpose:
- Time-bound outcome -> Goal
- Execution/deliverable -> Project
- Long-term responsibility -> Area
- Reference/learning -> Resource
- Partnership -> Collaboration
- Research/exploration -> Science
- Competency -> Skill
Use the appropriate template from .obsidian/templates/ (invoke vault-templates for specs)
Follow naming conventions:
- Goals: G-YYYY-Qn [Name]
- Projects: P#-[Name]
- Others: [Name]
Add required frontmatter (invoke vault-metadata for full schema reference):
- Goals: type, status, horizon
- Projects: type, status, goal (required link to parent)
- Areas: projects/resources (if linking)
- Resources: type, repoPath (if external repo)
Create links appropriately:
- Projects MUST link to parent goal
- Areas MAY link to projects and resources
- Use wiki-link syntax: [[Note Name]]

When Modifying Existing Notes

Always read the full note first to understand context
Preserve frontmatter unless explicitly changing metadata
Maintain link relationships:
- Don't break project->goal links
- Don't break area->project/resource links
Respect language choice:
- German for goal/project names
- English for technical content
- Mixed is acceptable
Keep repository paths intact unless explicitly updating

When Searching/Querying

Use Dataview for metadata queries (invoke vault-metadata for patterns)
Use Smart Connections for semantic search (Obsidian plugin)
Use standard search (Ctrl+Shift+F) for text
Check Dashboard.md for active project overview

Common Tasks

Add a New Project

Identify parent goal (or create one if needed)
Determine next available project number (check existing P# files)
Use template: .obsidian/templates/Projects.md (see vault-templates for spec)
Create file: 20_Projects/P#-[Name].md

Fill frontmatter:

---
type: project
status: active
goal: "[[Goal Name]]"
repoPath: D:\Path  # if applicable
---

Add next actions checklist

Update Project Status

Read project file to check current status
Update status field in frontmatter
If completing, consider:
- Archiving to 90_Archive/
- Updating parent goal's key results
- Moving to status: completed instead of archiving

Archive a Note

CRITICAL: Always read 90_Archive/.prompts/archive-note.prompt.md before archiving. Also follow coordination/policies/NO-DELETE-POLICY.md for decision matrix.

Evaluate using the Archive Decision Matrix:
- ALWAYS ARCHIVE: Completed projects/goals, historical decisions
- SUMMARIZE THEN DELETE: Superseded files, processed inbox items
- DELETE WITHOUT ARCHIVE: Test files, duplicates, drafts
- NEVER DELETE: Active projects, policies, config files
If archiving, create file in 90_Archive/ with:
- Subdirectory by type: 90_Archive/20_Projects/, 90_Archive/00_Inbox/, etc.
- Or date-based: 90_Archive/inbox-YYYY-MM/
- Naming: [Title] [ARCHIVED].md

Add archive frontmatter:

---
type: archive
originalType: [goal|project|area|resource|inbox]
archivedDate: YYYY-MM-DD
originalLocation: [original folder path]
tags: [archived]
---

Add Archive Information section with date, type, location, reason
Copy original content below the metadata
Delete source only after archive confirmed

See also: /archive skill, NDP-001 policy

Link Area to Projects/Resources

Read Area file

Add or update frontmatter:

---
projects: "[[Project Name]]"
resources: "[[Resource Name]]"
---

Create bidirectional awareness (Obsidian auto-generates backlinks)

Add a Resource

Determine correct subdirectory under 40_Resources/
Create file with descriptive name

Add optional frontmatter if has external repo:

---
type: ressource
repoPath: D:\Path\To\Repository
---

Keep content lightweight (1-5 lines) unless deep-dive needed
Link from relevant Area if applicable

Create a Quarterly Goal

Use template: .obsidian/templates/Goals.md (see vault-templates for spec)
Create file: 10_Goals/G-YYYY-Qn [Name].md

Fill frontmatter:

---
type: goal
status: active
horizon: YYYY-Qn
---

Add Key Results (KR1, KR2, KR3)
Link to existing or planned projects

Cross-References

Template specs: Invoke vault-templates for full template definitions
Metadata schemas: Invoke vault-metadata for frontmatter reference and Dataview patterns
Archiving automation: Use /archive skill for automated workflow

Metadata

author: Christian Kusmanow / Claude
version: 1.0.0
last_updated: 2026-02-09
source: Extracted from CLAUDE.md (Core Principles, Folder Structure, Note Types, Working with Notes, Common Tasks)
change_surface: Note type patterns, common tasks, folder structure
extension_points: Add new note types, update common tasks
changelog:
  - "1.0.0: Initial extraction from CLAUDE.md"

vault-notes

Vault Notes

When to Use

When NOT to Use

Core Principles

Folder Structure (PARA System)

Note Type Patterns

Goals (10_Goals/)

Projects (20_Projects/)

Areas (30_Areas/)

Resources (40_Resources/)

Collaborations (50_Collab/)

Science (60_Science/)

Skills (70_Skills/)

Working with Notes

When Creating New Notes

When Modifying Existing Notes

When Searching/Querying

Common Tasks

Add a New Project

Update Project Status

Archive a Note

Link Area to Projects/Resources

Add a Resource

Create a Quarterly Goal

Cross-References

Metadata